Canada's Federal Government announces Maia Inclusive Growth Project

Canada’s federal government has again come up with a new project on March 26, 2024, in order to aid and assist women entrepreneurs across the whole country. Rechie Valdez, the Minister of Small Business alongside Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec’s (RFAQ) president and CEO, Ruth Vachon declared the Maïa Inclusive Growth Project.

In addition, the project has received a funding of $3.7 million through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund of the government.

Rechie remarked in her statement, “The positive impacts of the Maïa Inclusive Growth project are going to be felt nationwide by helping get women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds on the radar of big business.”

She added, “Supporting women is more than the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do for our economy, and I am proud of our government's Women Entrepreneurship Strategy for making these critical investments.”

The project shall be delivered by Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec along with other partners including EY and the Business Development Bank of Canada in addition to Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada.

The project shall focus on making things easier for Canadian women entrepreneurs by “diversifying the supply chain” in order to secure contracts with large buyers.

Additionally, Ruth also said, “It's a program that will not only accelerate the growth and enhancement of entrepreneurs' skills but also promote innovation and competitiveness among big businesses. Over time, we will also have helped make our society and economy fairer and more inclusive.”